Engraving machine cutter



Nov. 14, 1933. a GORTON 1,935,555

ENGRAVING MACHINE CUTTER Filed March 5, 19 31 Patented Nov. 14,1933 I I I I it UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE I ENGRAVING' MACHINE CUTTER v 7 George Gorton, Racine, Wis. I

ApplicationiMarch .5, 1931. Serial No. 520,431 ol im. (ores- 103) .This invention relates to engraving machine holding and driving rotary spindle of the ene cutters; and the objects and nature of the ingraving machine. I 1 vention will be understood by'those skilled in the Fig. 5 is a p1an,partially broken away, of anart in light of the following explanations of the other form of wrench. 1

5 accompanying drawing that illustrates the pre- Fig. 6 is 'a plan, partially broken away of still 60 ferred mechanical expression or embodiment of another form of Wrench. f

my invention from among other possible forms The rotary cutters now approximately'univer-v and modifications within the spirit and scope sally employed in engraving'machines, for doing thereof. the 'work hereinbefore mentioned, are formed- 1 1 An object of the invention is to improve rotary with an exterior approximately cylindrical en- 5 cutters of the single lip type for so-called engravlargement located about midway the length of ing machines, die sinking machines, and the like, the cutter between and axially alined with the employed for engraving or cutting designs, intapered'shankof the cutter and'the taperedfiat dicia, letters, etc. inor on stamps, molds, dies, side-cutting or working end of the cutter, and

etc. as distinguished from the ordinary milling this-center enlargement is ofmuch greater ex- 7 machine cutters which must comply with difteriordiameterthan the maximum diametersof ferent conditions and requirements. than enthe bases of the axially alined cutting and shank graying machine cutters, with the ends in View of ends "of'the' one-piece cutter so that abrupt exreducing the cost of production; and ofpi-oductenor annular radial shoulders of substantial v ing an engraving machine cutter to erco lengtha're formed at the ends of the enlargement 7 certain defects in the engravingmachine-cutters where'the bases'or large ends of the shank and now in general use, and of increased strength'and "Cutting ends' lne'rge thereinto; This central exdurability, with a cutting or working end of i interior enlargement is formed with exterior diacreased length, and capable of being more easily metrically 'oppoisite jwrench flats to receive the 'appliedand removed. H jawsof aspanner orb'lfurcated wrench by which A further object of the invention is to produce the cutter is"rotated-or axially oscillated when a single lip rotary cutter for engraving "machines, being forced intoand from the tapered socket 0 .Of improved shape and form, to overcome certain the eng av g rotary spindle. disadvantages and diiiiculties incidental td the "-Thesecutters are cut down from cylindrical 0 form and construction of the engraving machine steel stock"orjblanks that throughout their 35 ends of suchold cutters.

cutters now in common use, and-tdavoidthe lengths are ofa diameter at least equal-to the necessity of employing the objectionable] pairs"diameter of the central exterior 'enlargementof 'of opposite Wrench faces on the exteriors o f 'the the finishedcutter, andhence'the surplus metal central portions above the bases of the cutting removed'and wasted is approximately equal to 'the' metalfremaining in the finished cutter and With the foregoing and other objects'in View, much time is consurneol'in thus machining the my invention consists of a rotary cu tter' for'enstock and in finishing the article. After magraving machines, of new and improved formand chining the article to produce the center enlarge structure as more fully and particularly de- 'm'ent and tapered endsgthe cutting end, at least, 7 scribed and specifi d herei a ter. ofthe article-must be subjected to a hardening Ref rrin to he mp ne w g, f mand tempering process, which is rendered diffi- :jng part hereof cult and -uncertain as-to satisfactory results by Fig. 1' shows a form of my improved cutter in reason of-the excessive amount of material at side elevation on an enlarged scale, looking at the enlarged'center" of the articles The forma- 45 the fiat of 'the cutting end o fthe cu'tterj 7 non orthewrench flats in-the enlarg'ed central ,Fig; 2 shows the butter in elevationfrom' the 'portion,'necessitates" aseparate operation. The opposite "side, showing the convex. side of" the .cutter so formed with an enlarged central porcutting end. ,tion,' renders the finished article weak and liable Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the cuttershowing to fracture where the tapered shank "joinsinto 50 the fiat cutting-end thereof ,infedgejelevation, the abrupt {shoulder formed by-the-enlargement .dotted' "lines showing ,a"'wrench on the upprend. {The abrupt shoulders formedby the ends wrench receiving portion of said cuttingendj ofthe'fcenter *enlarge'ment;l'render" it diflicult j 'Figl l is an enlarged plan view of aform of and'expeiisive'to grindthe tapers and flats, and wrench for twisting or wringing the" cutters also, necessitate-a relatively i sh'o'rt cutting "end 55:;intofand fromthe'tapered socket in'the cutter itthedistancethetaperedlshank 1 10 can enter the tapered socket of the rotary cutter spindle. These very small engraving cutters having slightly tapered shanks, are seated in the tapered sockets of the rotary cutter spindles, by simply wringing or rotating and forcing them in by a small spanner wrench fitting the wrench faces of the cutter enlargement, and it is more or less dimcult to fit and hold the wrench on suchenlargement and faces. In the course of a few months the spindle taper is worn several thousands of an inch too large for the cutter shank and as a result the shank enters too far into the socket and the abrupt shoulder of the cutter enlargement abuts the spindle end, leaving the cutter shank loose in the spindle. The machine user consequently complains that the cutters are too small, or the tapers are not correct. It is then necessary to return the spindle to the factory where the ends of the spindle are ground off, or a new spindle furnished.

The problem was to overcome the foregoing, and other difficulties that I have discovered in the manufacture and use of these old cutters in general use, and to this end and as a successful solution of this problem, I have produced an engraving machine cutter, the preferred example of which is illustrated by the accompanying drawing, wherein the single rod or elongated bar or piece of steel, or other suitable material, is shaped to form, in longitudinal alignment, a tapered shank 1, and a single-lip cutting end 2, that is ground to form the fiat side 3. The shank and the cutting end makeup the entire cutter as the cutting end starts where the shank stops Without exterior wrench faces or shoulders except such as formed by the flat side.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3, show a form of my cutter enlarged to possibly two or three times actual cutter full size, and this is the form I prefer for the cutters of my invention having cutting ends for coarse or heavy work. In this cutter the cutting end 2, is substantially shorter than the shank 1, and tapers or reduces from the middle portion of the length of the tool or'cutter to the working point of the cutting end. In other Words, the exterior-over all maximumdiameter of the cutter or tool does not exceed the diameter' of the, base of the shank 1, i. e. the maximum diameter of shank 1, which maximum diameter-in Figs. 1 to 3, is located at the transverse plane a, located a substantial distance closer to the cutting point of cutter end 2, than tothe reduced end or tip of shank 1. In this particular form, the large end or base of the longer taper 1, namely; the shank, meets the base of the shorter taper 2, namely; the cutting end, so that in this particular cutter form, the steel rod forming the cutter tapers or reduces towards its opposite ends from the transverse plane a, where the cutter is of maximumstrength and exterior diameter, and where the bases of the oppositely tapered ends meet Without an intervening enlargement or other metal length. This formation enables me to extend theflat side 3, of the cutting end'2 longitudinally of the cutter along the meeting or merging bases of the shank and cutting end and a substantial distance into the shank 1, to form the fiat side extension 3a, that extends from and beyond the large end or base of cutting end 2, and across and beyo'ndthe center of the overall length of the complete cutter, as well as longitudinally :along andbeyond the maximum diameter portion of the cutter Informing ,the 'flat side 3, 3a. of the cutter, approximately one half the thickness or diameter of the cutter is ground away. By thus extending the flat side of the cutting end across the center of the cutter and along the base portion of the shank, I provide a wrench flat or face 3a, at the portion of the cutter of maximum strength and diameter, and also, in this example, increase the effective length of the cutting end. I am thus enabled to avoid the extra operation and added expense involved in forming the cutter with the small opposite side flats or depressions heretofore necessary to receive the small spanner wrenches by which the old cutters were forced into and from the spindle sockets. With these small cutters and the necessarily small wrenches, particularly when poorly illuminated, it was exceedingly diflicult to locate the pair of flats and apply the wrench in the proper direction and at the proper angle and fit and hold the same thereon. I can utilize this single wide wrench face or flat 3a, in forcing and rotating my cutter into and from the spindle socket, by slipping a socket wrench over the cutting point of the cutter and upwardly thereon to its seat on the face 3a, or by slipping the jaws of an open end socket wrench radially onto the tool to straddle the same at its portion of maximum thickness that includes wrench face 3a.

For this purpose, I can employ a flat lever wrench such as 5, having a transverse hole or socket 5a, of approximately the transverse shape and dimensions of the cutter above the transverse plane a, i. e. at the wrench fiat portion 3a.

Also, a flat lever wrench, such as 6, can'be employed having a transverse socket or hole oblong in form with straight edges 6a, either .of which will fit on and across the flat portion 3a, the oblong hole being of a size to permit free passage of the cutting end 2, up tofiat 3a.

Also a flat lever wrench such as '7, can be employed, havinga slightly tapered socket open at one end to form a pair of parallel spaced jaws 7a to radially straddle the central portion of the cutter that includes flat 3a, with the wrench'handle extending radially therefrom.

In production, this cutter of Figs. 1 to; 3, requires only approximately one-half the amount of steel and about one-third the labor costs, as the old cutter of corresponding length and size in the production of which one-half of the blank or stock is wasted, all because,in my cutter, the bases of the shank and cutting ends merge together about midway the length of the cutter without theformation of exterior shoulders or abutmentswith the maximum exterior diameter ofthe cutter not exceeding the maximum diameter of either end. This peculiar formation of the cutter enables me to harden and temper the cutter with more uniform desirable results, and the production of better and stronger cutters and a substantial reduction in the percentage of defective articles, and eliminates the weak point in the old cutters, all with a resulting very substantial reduction in the cost of production.

The peculiar formation of my cutter without exterior annular abutments or shoulders and with its maximum exterior diameter not greater than the maximum diameters of the shank and cuttingends of the tool, enables me to' provide a tapered shank of full length that will enter the rotary spindle socket a greater distance than is possible with the old form ofcutte'r, andalso enables me to produce the cutter with a cutting end having its flat side of substantiallygreater substantially longer working or operative life than the old cutter. In the old cutter, this fiat faced end can extend only from the point of v the cutter to the adjacent abrupt shouldered end of the exterior longitudinal center enlargement which separates the base 'of the tapered shank' from the base of the tapered cutting end. Whereas in my cutter, I have extended the ground-down flat face 3, at 3a, longitudinally toward the small end of the shank and along the central portion of the tool where it is of greatest strength and diameter and across the base portion of the tapered shank 1, thereby substantially increasing the effective cutting length of the cutting end 2, of the tool over the corresponding portion of the old cutter of corresponding over all length.

The formation of my cutter, with a full length tapered shank'that is not obstructed at its base by an exterior annular or other abrupt shoulder or enlargement, even though the flat 3, is at 3a, extendedlongitudinally into the base of the shank, avoids the difficulty incidental to the old cutters, where the spindle sockets become worn, namely; the resulting looseness of the old shanks in such worn sockets. With my cutters, as the spindle sockets become worn, the cutters can be forced increasing distances into such sockets to secure the desired tight fit, say up to approximately an increased distance of an eighth of an inch or possibly more; The lifeof the cutter spindle is hence lengthened.

My cutter is not only more durable and of greater strength than the old cutter, but can be employed for engraving in crowded quarters andin restricted areas, where the old cutter can not be used becauseof its excessive center enlargement and relatively short cutting end. Also o my cutter formation enables me to employ simple inexpensive means for and method of grinding the tapers which substantially reduces the cost of production as compared to the costs of producing the old cutter of corresponding length i and size. 1

Where fine and light cutter work is required, more delicate cutting or engraving work than can be performed by the cutting end of the cutter of Figs. 1 -3, when its point is sharpened, the

manufacturer of my'cutter, will in the process of producing the cutter of Figs. 1--3, preferably a before the hardening and tempering treatment,

-by grinding or otherwise, reduce the transverse dimensions, or width and taper of the cutting end -2, so that when said reduced tapered end is grinding down the cutting ends thereof to the taper and width required, so that the upper base portion of the cutting end below plane a, and below where the cutting end base meets and merges into the shank base, will contract downwardly with a longitudinal annular bevell or taper without producing a weakened neck or portion. This form of my cutter having the single-lip cutting end of reduced width, is also without the objectionable pairs of tangential exterior wrench flats on the shank or on any portion of the cutter intervening between the bases of the shank and cutting end and also without objectionable annular shoulders on the shank or such intervening portion.

Also, where a very heavy duty cutter of my invention is required having a wide nosed square pointed cutting end for routing out considerable areas, the cutter can be of, but not exceeding,

the diameter of the base of shank from transverse plane a, to the point of the cutting end, ground down to semi-cylindrical form to provide the flat side that extends longitudinally of the ters in the blank forms approximately as shown and described, and the user or machine operator grinds the points of the. single-lip or flat side cutting ends according to the work 'to be formed or according to his own desires, to produce conical fiat, angular points, or square pointed cutters, etc. or if he so desires and is equipped for so doing, the user may grind the single lip to produce the reduced width or edge taper of the flat side thereof, as hereinbefore described.

The disclosure hereof is illustrative for purposes of explanation and not for limiting and restrictive purposes except where required byv the following claim when construed as broadly as permitted by the prior art.

What I claim is:

An engraving machine rotary cutter consisting of a conical shank of uninterrupted longitudinal'taper from its base of maximum exterior diameter, and a single lip cutting end projecting longitudinally directly from said base, said cutter having a longitudinal flat side throughout the length of said cutting end and extended longitudinally of said tapered shanka substantial distance into ,and along said shank, said extended portion of said flat side providing the wrench face of the cutter, whereby said cutter is adapted to receive'a complementary wrench to operatively fit said wrench face and the base portion of said shank and longitudinally and rotatively force said tapered shank into and from the engraving machine cutter spindle socket. I GEORGE GORTON. 

